Phoenix Downer

PhoenixDowner’s sideblog for live action-related media. Currently posting about: Wyler/Weyler from Wednesday. Blog owner is 21+.

[phoenix-downer2]

Wednesday and Tyler Axe Scene Analysis

I’ve been thinking about this scene so much since Season 2 Part 2 came out. It’s just so rich in terms of the implications for Tyler and Wednesday as well as their relationship with each other.

This is the moment Tyler asks her to kill him. It’s deeply depressing that he wants to die, but it really says a lot about his mindset and how he views himself. He’s dealing with suicidal levels of self-loathing and thinks he’s nothing without his Hyde, even though it’s cost him so much and will eventually cost him his life. But he sees the Hyde as a core part of who he is, and if he can't have his Hyde, he doesn't want to live. He claims being a Hyde is the freest he’s ever felt, even though (up till this point) he has to have a master controlling him, or he’ll go insane and die prematurely.

Which means he felt so trapped before becoming a Hyde that being a monster under someone else’s control still feels like freedom to him. It isn’t, it’s not true freedom, but it’s the only freedom he knows. More on this later.

Another thing that’s striking about his request to Wednesday is that he doesn’t even beg her for help. He doesn’t think he deserves it, least of all from her. He’s done some pretty awful things to her and to the people she loves, and I suspect he blames himself for it all, even the things he didn't have a say in. So he sees her holding the axe and just surrenders to her, because punishment and death are what he deserves, right?

Also, he’s asking her to kill him, yes, but in a strange way, it’s also an act of trust. He’s placing his life in her hands. He has nothing and no one left except for her because even his mother and uncle have betrayed him. This is the girl he deceived and betrayed, the girl who trusted him and opened herself up to him (which for Wednesday is huge, given how afraid she is of emotional intimacy), only for him to break her heart, humiliate her, and mock her over what happened. And yet he still trusts her to kill him because she’s all he has left, the only person he knows he can count on even if on paper they're still bitter enemies. It's like he's saying, “If someone has to kill me, I want it to be you. You deserve to get to do this after what I’ve done to you.”

This moment is especially striking after the graveyard scene, where he watched Isaac bury Wednesday alive and couldn't do anything to help her. I think he desperately wants to be punished for his inaction by the very person he failed (on top of paying for his other misdeeds), even though his mother likely told him not to help, plus Isaac would've sabotaged him anyway if he'd tried. He also probably thinks he deserves to die over tossing her out the Willow Hill window while in Hyde form, because that moment at the hospital after he's seen her safe and alive and awake for the first time since then, the anguish and sheer relief on his face when he thinks no one else is watching just says so much. Sure, some of it was probably due to the physical pain he was in, but I think a lot of it was driven by his feelings for Wednesday.

He also speaks softly enough in this scene that Isaac can’t hear him, only Wednesday can. He doesn’t want to ruin her chance to kill him, and it makes the moment feel strikingly intimate, like these are his deepest darkest secrets he only trusts her with: his self-loathing, his vulnerability, his death wish.

Now, onto Wednesday’s side of things. I love how she lifts the axe like she's about to do it, she’s about to kill him, and then her expression changes, and you realize right at the same time she does that she can’t do it, she can’t kill him.

She’s staring into his eyes and he’s staring at her because he wants her to be the last thing he sees, much like she kept staring at him when she was being buried alive. And then it’s too much and he squeezes his eyes shut like a lost, frightened child and braces himself for her blow.

And that’s when she makes her split second, impulsive decision to free him.

This moment is so, so huge, because it’s such an important turning point for her character arc and shows so much growth.

This was Wednesday’s big chance to get her revenge, to permanently end the threat to her life and Enid’s life that Tyler has posed ever since he escaped Willow Hill. It was also her opportunity to avenge her broken heart and satisfy her wounded pride. But she shows Tyler mercy and compassion instead.

He’s quite literally completely at her mercy, strapped to a table, unable to free himself or use his power, and he’s being tortured physically, emotionally, and mentally as his Hyde is being forcibly removed, and she does the merciful thing and frees him because she can't bear to watch him suffer like this any longer. We all know this is a girl with a sadistic streak who normally loves witnessing torture, especially when it's someone she doesn't like who’s getting tortured. Just look at her face as Dort is exposed and then dies just an episode before, she 100% enjoyed that, much like she enjoyed unleashing the piranhas on the boys who bullied Pugsley in Season 1.

And yet she doesn’t enjoy Tyler's pain here. She can't enjoy it. That really speaks to the strength of her feelings for him, especially because she was so easily able to gloat over his situation back in Episode 2. But there's no denying she has feelings for him still, and in this moment, I think it hits her for an instant (before she goes back into denial mode) just how deeply these feelings for him run.

This moment is also really important because she's the first person to truly free him. Everyone else in his life has put him in chains, physically and psychologically, and even Wednesday herself tried to chain and control him earlier this season with her plan to become his master in Episode 5. She also tried to strangle him as a werewolf in Episode 6 until Enid talked her down. It shows so much growth on her part that she isn’t trying to control Tyler anymore, that she relinquishes the control she tried so desperately to grasp and gives him his freedom instead. And this is true freedom, born from the desire to give him back control over his life and fate that everyone else, even his own family, has taken away from him. And that gift of freedom gives him the strength to defy his mother and master as well as his uncle, and he repays her merciful act by fighting Isaac and Francoise and thus helping her save her family.

By saving him, she’s also telling him that there’s something in him worth saving, worth sparing, even after everything he's done. She believes this about him even when he doesn't believe it about himself. For someone like Tyler, who loathes himself and quite literally spelled out that he believes he deserves to die, that's life-changing, and I think it's going to kickstart his growth to become a better person. I also think her giving him back his freedom is going to drive him to be his own master along with the support of the Hyde community.

I also love that in freeing Tyler, Wednesday defies him in a way, and she also denies his death wish. It was just such a Wednesday thing to do. She can't give him exactly what he wants. That would be too boring and predictable, and she can't let that happen.

I also love the moment when he realizes he’s not dead, he’s free:

And I love the look of shock and awe and disbelief on his face:

So much good stuff has already been said about “Why?” and “I missed,” but I’ll say a few things as well. Jenna and Hunter did such an amazing job with their acting this whole scene (and season), but especially during this particular moment. Tyler looks so shocked. His voice breaks and his “why” is so soft, like he can hardly believe what just happened. He never even dreamed Wednesday would free him, and his entire world just turned upside down because she did. And now he wants an explanation. He thinks he's undeserving and unworthy, and he desperately wants, no, needs to know what drove her decision. Why me, when I'm a monster. Why me, after everything I've done to you and your loved ones. Why me, when you could've and should've killed me.

And I think a part of him also wants to know how she feels and is begging for the confirmation his heart hardly dares hope for. He’s asking if she feels the same way about him that he feels about her deep down, beneath all the anger and confusion and pain.

And then “I missed” is just such a perfect Wednesday answer, and props to Jenna for improvising it from the sounds of it. Wednesday never misses, and she and Tyler both know that. She certainly never misses at point blank range with an axe. Which means she did it on purpose, and again, they both know it.

But of course she's not going to admit to that, let alone the feelings that drove her decision. “I missed” is the most she’ll allow herself, and it speaks volumes. She's a very proud person to the point she tips over into arrogance quite frequently, and yet in this moment, she's willing to slander her own abilities to admit, in her own roundabout way, what she can't bring herself to say out loud.

And Tyler wouldn't love her if she wasn't her delightful Wednesday self. I love the look of disbelief he gives her after she says “I missed,” like, “Yeah right, we both know that’s BS, now please give me a second as I desperately try to process the implications of the depth of your feelings for me because this is A Lot and I've had a long night.”

And then of course he transforms after this and helps her, and they get right back to the business of sabotaging Isaac and his machine, stopping his mom, and saving her family.

Couples that slay together stay together, am I right?

Anyway, I just had a lot of thoughts and feelings about this scene that have been stewing in my brain for several weeks that I had to write out. Thank you for reading this, and feel free to chime in with your thoughts!

[hunterdoohans]

wednesday and tyler's feelings told through their eyes ⁠♡

[phoenix-downer]

Today is the 9th anniversary of creating my AO3 account! 🥳

To celebrate, I’ll write whichever idea is the most popular (SoKai is excluded from the poll this time because I recently ran a poll for them, and I'll be posting the story for that this summer).

Pick a story concept for me to write:

Final Fantasy VII - Cloud/Tifa Hurt/Comfort post-Lifestream sequence

Final Fantasy VII - Zack/Aerith Cinderella AU

Final Fantasy X - Tidus/Yuna through the seasons

Frieren - Frieren/Himmel Reunion

Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood - Roy/Riza Episode 19 aftermath (missing scene)

Kingdom Hearts - Sora grappling with regaining his strength in KH3

The Legend of Zelda - Zelda/Link Princess Bride AU

The Lord of the Rings - Faramir/Eowyn in the Houses of Healing

Mistborn - Vin teaching Elend how to use allomancy

My Hero Academia - Izuku/Ochaco’s first date

Severance - Helly R. and Gemma sensing a connection between the two of them

Wednesday - Wednesday/Tyler reunion in the snow

Voting ended onMay 28

Thank you for all the support over the years!

[blackdahlia-nevermore]

[phoenix-downer2]

Cool Down

Summary: While Wednesday investigates a spooky old mansion during summer break with Tyler, Enid, and Thing, temperatures soar, and Tyler suffers from heatstroke. Wednesday’s icy skin is just what he needs to cool down.

Or: a playful inversion of the “huddling together for warmth” trope featuring bed sharing and found family ghost investigations. For Halloweyler 2025.

👻 🛏️ 🧊

Enid, Tyler, Thing, and I are investigating a haunted mansion in Texas. Agnes is currently getting us drinks and snacks. It’s a sweltering summer day, the hottest in years, apparently, and we’re currently at the old, abandoned mansion looking for clues about the ghost. 

Apparently, the ghost keeps attacking the locals. He’s the spirit of a dead vaquero, or as I had to explain to Tyler and Enid, a livestock herder that influenced the later development of cowboys. The locals in question have hired me due to my track record of putting living serial killers behind bars and sending dead ones back to hell, so this is what I’ve spent my summer break doing. 

The ghost apparently speaks Spanish, so my language skills are an extra bonus. Enid knows some Spanish from growing up in California and taking classes when she was younger. Tyler’s Spanish is pathetic, but at least he’s trying.

Enid and Tyler came along because they were 1) bored, and 2) needed money, respectively. They also mentioned something about wanting to spend time with me. I'm not sure I believe them. I suspect ulterior motives.

Thing is here because he's my partner in (solving) crime. He’s too useful to leave at home. And Agnes tags along no matter what I tell her. At least she’s currently putting herself to good use. We'll all be hungry after this.

As the stairs creak beneath our combined weight, Enid whimpers. She’s still not very good with haunted places, but she's getting better. Tyler isn’t concerned because he knows he's far more dangerous than anything we might run into could ever be. The only creature, living or dead, who could ever out freak him is me, and he knows it.

We have an uneasy truce. We’re allies, and Enid, Agnes, Thing, and I form his pack. He hasn’t had a lapse in control once since he left the Hyde colony.

I have to grudgingly commend him for that. He really is serious about being his own master. He’s defended me from danger on multiple occasions, too.

I don't know how I feel about that. Enid claims the sexual tension between us is so thick she could cut it with her claws. I worry the time she was stuck as an alpha wolf has led to permanent brain damage.

Lost in my thoughts as I am, we reach the top of the staircase faster than I expected. There are several dark, dusty rooms in this wing of the house to check for clues. I open my mouth.

“Do not tell us to separate,” Enid says. “Remember what happened the last time you did that.”

“Fine. You take Tyler, and I'll take Thing.”

Enid nods, and she and Tyler go to the right. When Enid was stuck in wolf form, Tyler protected her, and they’ve had a strange kinship ever since. I suppose turning into a monster and losing control of yourself is something they can bond over.

As Thing and I investigate the first room on the left, I notice he’s a little sluggish, a little slower than usual.

“Thing, have you been drinking again?”

Thing indignantly gestures at me. I frown and pull out the toolkit in my pocket, which includes a thermometer. “Fair enough. I didn’t realize how hot it had gotten, and there's limited air circulation in here.” I run icy cold, so it takes a lot for me to get warm. 

I stretch out my arm. “Here, hold my hand until you cool down.”

Thing grasps onto it, and he is slightly warmer than usual. We continue our investigation until it’s interrupted by a crash, followed by Enid calling my name.

I sigh deeply but follow her voice to one of the bedrooms. She’s kneeling next to Tyler, who is sprawled out on the floor, his eyes closed as he pants. His skin looks flushed, but he isn’t sweating.

“I think he’s got heatstroke,” Enid says, biting her rainbow nails.

Turns out the hottest day on record was not the best choice for implementing my plan. Oh well. Hindsight is 20/20. I’m not used to planning around the Texas heat, and I’ll have to take it into account in the future.

“I can see that,” I say as I kneel next to him and check his temperature. Sure enough, he’s burning up, and he seems confused. 

“Wednesday?” he asks, the words slurring together.

“I see your ability to recognize faces is still intact. That means there's still hope.” I give Enid a look. “Why did he get heatstroke when you’re just fine? You’re the one with all the fur.”

“Not right now I’m not! Plus, he’s wearing a long sleeved flannel shirt and jeans in this weather. I'm the only one appropriately dressed here!”

I give her a look. She has on a tank top, shorts, and sporty sandals. I'm wearing a long-sleeved black dress with black leggings and boots. By her logic, I should be burning up too, but I'm perfectly fine.

“I don't think he's been drinking enough water either,” she adds, glancing nervously at him again.

I look at the half gallon rainbow container half full of water on the floor nearby. Maybe Enid hauling that thing around wasn't such a dumb idea after all.

“Tyler, we’re going to have to take off your clothes,” I tell him. He protests weakly. “Fine, you can keep your boxers on. Everything else has to go.”

Unfortunately, the clothes have color, so Thing and Enid have to strip him for me. As they do, it quickly becomes apparent why he protested about being stripped.

His body is littered with scars, many more than when he was at Willow Hill. I notice multiple poorly healed gunshot wounds, several sets of clawmarks, and other past injuries of uncertain origin. He meets my eyes, and there’s a moment of clarity where he seems ashamed before a confused haze settles over him again.

Enid and Thing finish stripping him, and I help them move him to the bed. He’s the biggest of the three of us, but we manage. The bed creaks loudly but holds, and I temporarily slip my black gloves on and get him to drink a good amount of water before I tell the others to leave the room.

“Why?” Enid asks.

“My skin is cold. Lying next to me is going to be as good as having an ice bath. He’ll be back to normal in no time.”

Enid takes a hint and shoos Thing out of the room. She closes the door behind them, smiling knowingly at me.

I ignore her and unlace my boots, then kick them off. My socks soon follow. Next I unzip my dress, then my leggings come off. I leave the rest on. If Tyler gets to wear his undergarments, then so do I. 

He’s staring at me, and I don’t know if it’s because of the heatstroke or because I’ve never shown this much skin around him before, but I get the sense he doesn’t believe what he’s seeing.

Well, desperate times call for desperate measures. I can't exactly have him dying on me. That would be bad for business. And this is strictly for medical reasons. I would do this for any of my allies.

I join him on the bed, which thankfully has a faded black bedspread ridden with moth-inflicted holes and patchy white sheets underneath. I move close and press as much of my icy skin against his flushed, burning self as I can manage. I have less surface area than he does, but I do my best to cover as much of him as possible.

He groans deeply and puts an arm around me. A sound of relief, pleasure, or both? Well, anyone would feel better if they were burning up and a human popsicle/living corpse lay next to them. This isn't anything special.

His breathing calms down, evens out, and his temperature starts to lower as the minutes tick by. Good, this is working. We generally try to avoid taking him to regular doctors so he doesn’t get carted off to be a part of some quack’s experiments. He has a deep fear of being imprisoned and restrained, for obvious reasons, so most medical treatment we handle ourselves.

My breathing evens out, too. This isn’t as intolerable as I thought it would be. His scent is…pleasant. The skin-to-skin contact with him doesn’t repel or repulse me. I’m comfortable. Relaxed, even.

I spot one of his gunshot wound scars and absently stroke it. He tenses, and I lighten the pressure a little.

“You shouldn't be so self-conscious,” I tell him. “All these scars say is, ‘Look how many fights I’ve won or survived.’ It makes you more appealing, if you care about that sort of thing.” 

He chuckles, and the sound makes my lips twitch a little. “Leave it to Wednesday Addams to find scars attractive.” It's the most he’s said in a while, so he's probably almost in the clear.

But I don’t want to move, not yet. I pull out my favorite tactic so I can stay just a little longer: arguing.

“I didn't say anything about attractiveness,” I say. “The scars just mean you’re strong. A worthy opponent.”

He brushes his finger over my lips, and I shiver in spite of myself. “A worthy opponent, or a worthy mate?” he murmurs. 

We search each other’s eyes. There are things I’m curious about, things I’d be interested in learning. To increase my overall knowledge of human anatomy, of course. This has nothing to do with Tyler in particular, not really. He’s just lying here beside me, and it would be convenient to practice with him. He certainly seems willing.

“I’ll be the judge of that,” I tell him. Our faces are only inches apart, and we’re both breathing heavily. Every place our bodies are touching feels wonderfully cold thanks to my icy skin. I move even closer, and his eyes flutter shut as his lips part. Having my third kiss in an old, haunted mansion with a dangerous Hyde who almost died but I saved yet again wouldn’t be a bad idea, not at all. In fact, I’m really starting to cool down to it.

Just as our lips are about to touch, Enid’s screams reach our ears.

“OH MY GOD, THE GHOST IS HERE, WEDNESDAY, TYLER, YOU HAVE TO COME, I THINK HE’S GONNA KILL ME—WAIT NO, EWWWW, I THINK HE’S HITTING ON ME—MY SPANISH ISN’T GOOD ENOUGH TO DEAL WITH THIS!”

The moment is over. Tyler and I burst out laughing, and it strikes me that he has a pleasant laugh. Most laughter I find insincere and grating, but his I could listen to for hours.

“Oh, Thing opened a window for me and now the ghost is gone,” Enid calls up. “Still, he might come back…”

“We should probably go back down there and help,” Tyler says, sweeping a strand of hair that's popped out of my braids away from my face. His grin is big and affectionate, and I have the horrific urge to kiss it right off his face.

I sigh deeply instead. “Yes. Even with Thing, Enid won't last another five minutes. She hates haunted places. And I think we’ve done enough investigating for now. We should wait and come back at night when it's cooler and when the ghost is more likely to be around again.”

He nods and carefully lifts me off of him. His hands are so much larger than mine, but he's being very gentle. His restraint is doubly impressive knowing how easily he could slash me to pieces or pin me against the bed and—

I frown. Where did that thought come from? But now that it’s here, it won’t leave my mind, no matter how hard I push it down.

Enid was right. I’m still attracted to him. How embarrassing. How humiliating. At least the feeling appears to be mutual. Now that he’s fully cognizant again and still keeps staring at me with dilated pupils, I can’t avoid that conclusion any longer. 

We put on our clothes. Well, I put on my clothes. I tell him his jeans are fine for now but to refrain from putting his shirt back on. He raises an eyebrow but does what I say. He also chugs more of the water from Enid’s giant water jug before we exit the room.

“Thank you, for cooling me down,” he says as the stairs creak beneath us.

“Don’t mention it,” I reply. I mean it in both senses of the phrase. What happened between us just now can be dealt with later. For now, we have to find a scaredy-cat alpha wolf and a reanimated corpse's right hand that still managed to get heatstroke.

I'm telling you, I'm surrounded by amateurs.

As we all pile into the car, A/C blasting, and eat the snacks and chug the drinks Agnes has gotten for us, I find I don’t really mind. Maybe having the Scooby-Doo crew with me isn’t such a bad thing after all. 

Tyler smiles at me, and the conviction only grows.

For a homicidal monster, he sure knows how to cool a girl’s icy heart.

👻 🛏️ 🧊

A/N: Thank you so much for reading! This story was a blast to write—I really enjoyed writing about the characters solving a mystery together, the Wyler/Weyler banter and fluff amused me greatly, and I had fun using the prompts Bed Sharing and Found Family from Hallowyler Week. Speaking of which, Happy Hallowyler Week! 🥳🎃 I have another story for the event I’ll be posting tomorrow. See you all then!

[phoenix-downer2]

Wednesday and Tyler Graveyard Scene Analysis

Tyler’s body language and facial expressions in the graveyard scene in Season 2, Episode 8 really showed how conflicted he was about Isaac burying Wednesday alive and foreshadowed his decision to help Wednesday and her family at the climax of the episode beautifully. Hunter knocked it out of the park this whole sequence, and the camera angles and lighting choices really enhanced the scene.

The first time I watched it, I was positively thrilled by how obviously Tyler still cares about Wednesday. Even when he's so clearly under someone else’s control, his feelings for her bleed through, and I wanted to break the scene down and discuss it more thoroughly.

This frame is soon after Tyler has captured Thing, and he seems both resigned to what’s happening and concerned, like he’s already having second thoughts about Isaac and Isaac’s plan:

Then there's this moment where he looks at Wednesday as Isaac starts knitting Thing back onto his stump. Tyler has his hand around her neck to restrain her and keep her from interfering, and his eyes even bulge a little like he might transform, but look at his expression: it’s like he’s silently asking her to hold still and not make things worse, and I think it’s because he's already concerned about what Isaac might do to her:

A moment later, he even turns his attention back to Isaac so he can watch what's happening. This was a risky move when he knows how good Wednesday is at fighting and self-defense, but I think he's just that worried about what Isaac's going to do next:

Here you can really see his uncertainty and concern over what's happening. He has to hold both Pugsley and Wednesday captive for this plan (which he does fairly effortlessly, speaking to just how strong he is), and yet his attention is on his uncle:

But then Wednesday struggles against him again, drawing with attention back to her:

Then, when Isaac does telepathically seize her and starts lowering her into the grave, Tyler immediately steps closer with Pugsley in tow:

And then of course Wednesday gives him this iconic look. She's about to be buried alive and her younger brother is right there, but she decides to look at Tyler instead. This shot almost seems to be from his point of view. It isn’t quite, or she would be looking directly at the camera, but the focus in these next few moments is on the two of them and their emotions, their feelings, their perspectives:

She’s judging him for his inaction and compliance, perhaps, but that deleted scene from behind the scenes where this moment did originally have dialogue indicates she knows he’s still under control. I think she was hoping he might break free and try to help her in spite of everything. And I actually prefer this moment without the dialogue because honestly? It isn't needed. Jenna and Hunter are fantastic actors and convey so much with just a single look. Plus it opens up more room for interpretation, for the audience to imagine what's going through their heads.

Speaking of conveying so much with just a single look though, the sorrow and grief and concern is just so evident on Tyler’s face as he stares at her. For someone who blustered so much about killing her, he sure seems upset about her possible death. He looks like he’s about to cry, like this is his worst nightmare is coming true, and they have an entire conversation with their eyes without saying a single word. The lighting is really interesting, too, because while Wednesday’s face tends to be relatively well lit throughout the scene for a graveyard at midnight, his face tends to be half in darkness, half in light:

He just looks so resigned and defeated here. It's quite the contrast to Pugsley. Pugsley is actively engaged: bending down so he’s closer to his sister, eyes wide, struggling against his imprisonment. Tyler is so used to being the prisoner of his masters that he doesn’t even try:

Then we get this shot of the vines starting to encircle her. The camera angle is focused on her face to really drive home the horror of what’s happening, and notice how the shot is from above, like this is from the perspective of someone looking down and seeing what's happening…so in this moment, Tyler and Pugsley’s perspective (albeit closer than they could actually get from where they’re standing above the grave). Note the lighting on her face, too, how it's pretty well lit:

Sure enough, the following shot of Tyler and Pugsley is from below, like Wednesday is looking up at them. They tower over her, and Tyler dominates the frame. Note his body language. He’s clenching Pugsley’s chains. His lips are pressed into a thin, tight line. All of this indicates how angry and upset he is about what’s happening. His face is half in shadow, half in light again, like he’s in conflict with the good and evil sides of himself, his humanity and his Hyde:

And then we switch back to a shot of Wednesday. Again, her face is very well lit, all things considered, and it does kind of crack me up that she and Pugsley both do the wide-eyed horrified stare so well, they really do look like siblings in this scene. Again, the camera focuses on her face to really capture her emotions and encourage the audience to sympathize with her plight. And, of course, Tyler is seeing all of this too:

Then there’s this shot, this pan to focus on Tyler instead of both Tyler and Pugsley. The camera lingers on Tyler’s face. This is so, so important because for one, it tells us Tyler is the complete focus now, and two, his reaction to what happened to Wednesday is so important that Tim Burton wanted to spend precious time on this closeup. Is he gloating or smirking or otherwise glad? No. He is absolutely gutted:

The camera lingers on his face and his jaw tenses. You can just see all the thoughts going through his head, how it's hitting him all at once that he doesn't hate her or want her to die, not at all. This is a very important revelation, and there’s more light on his face now too to indicate this, like he’s finally seen the light/the truth about the situation and his feelings for her. And the bitter irony is that he thinks it's too late, she’s buried and dying right as all his true feelings for her are unearthed and acknowledged. He’s got that thousand-yard stare and looks like he’s horrified and grieving, all at once. You can really see his humanity peeking through:

And then Isaac starts talking again. Tyler flat out looks like he wants to murder his uncle. Look at the contempt in his expression. His eyes even bulge a little like they do when he’s about to transform:

He lingers a little near Wednesday's grave even after Isaac has stalked off, yanking Pugsley along with him. Again, it's the little moments like this that are so important and so intentional. The right side of his face is cast in light and the left side of his face is cast in shadow again, hinting at the turmoil inside over leaving Wednesday to die:

Then there's this moment with Isaac, who is so dementedly, joyfully unhinged about his plan succeeding. Honestly, I love moments like this because sure, he's creepy and evil, but he also cares about things, he gets excited about things, he's still human. The neat, tidy delineation between good and evil, human and monster, blurs with his character, which is what makes him such an interesting villain:

Same with Francoise. She screams excitedly like a little kid instead of a grown woman, and it's just such a jarring contrast, in a good way. She isn’t just some stoic evil villain, she shows concern and excitement and affection in a very arrested development sort of way, which makes perfect sense given all the trauma she's been through:

And she and Isaac are both thrilled he has his right hand back to the point it's uncomfortable and creepy. Honestly, Frances and Owen did such a good job of making their characters act really weird and twisted together in a way that makes perfect sense for a brother-sister relationship gone wrong after bucket loads of trauma and arrested development that was never properly dealt with. Think about it, they basically just had each other growing up with an abusive father, Isaac’s health issues, and Francoise’s Hyde, and then Isaac died and Francoise was imprisoned and experimented on for years. Apparently, Isaac wasn't the same after his clockwork heart, either. He became cold, and near the end of the episode, he even talks about how Francoise was the only person he ever loved.

Anyway, all of that is to say that of course everything they've been through would do a number on them and would impact their closest relationships. But instead of ever working through it, they choose to become more and more twisted and evil. The Night family manages to make the Addams family look “normal” in comparison, which is really, really saying something:

Tyler, on the other hand, does not look happy at all. He’s got that thousand-yard stare again and looks resigned. His subdued expression is really telling, precisely because his mom and his uncle are both overjoyed. It also kind of cracks me up that both he and Pugsley are low-key judging his mom and uncle (I mean same lol). He might be a Hyde and Pugsley an Addams, but they still have standards. His face is relatively well-lit here, too. No internal conflict over this, he just thinks his mom and uncle are acting weird and isn't happy about what happened to Wednesday:

This foreshadows how he turns on his uncle and mom later in this very episode. It’s setting the stage, because he's now at odds with them emotionally over their “success” in capturing Thing and burying Wednesday. Instead, he has a reaction much more like Pugsley’s, who is Wednesday’s brother. He and Pugsley also keep getting grouped together in shot after shot during this scene, culminating in this shot. They have more in common here than Tyler has in common with his own family, and it's all because of Wednesday. And her saving him later in the episode is the final push he needs to go against his family and fight for her…and for the Addams family.

Thank you for reading this, and feel free to chime in with your thoughts!

[shadowofthesun123]

Tyler | Hyde fanart

Some time ago I saw a beautiful fanart with Anakin Skywalker and wanted to make one in the similar style with Tyler. I finally did it! Here's the result:

And variations with filters:

[incorrectwyler]

[phoenix-downer2]

The Latest Addams Family Pet

Summary: Tyler visits the Addams family home for the first time and learns of Nero the scorpion’s untimely demise. He surprises Wednesday with a thoughtful gift on their next graveyard date night. ~2000 words. Romance, fluff, dark humor, banter. Established relationship.

AO3 Link

🦂 🪦 🖤

The first time Tyler visits the Addams family mansion and grounds, Wednesday gives him a tour of the family cemetery. He knows her so well that this doesn’t faze him, much to her cold, dark delight.

The day is overcast and dreary, just the way he knows she likes it. Along with the expected (and unexpected) human graves of various Addams family members and possible victims, he spots several well-tended graves with animal headstones, including a snake, a tarantula, a vulture, a black cat, and an octopus. Pets, he assumes, though of that group, only the black cat would tempt him. Okay fine, maybe the octopus, too.

Then he notices a dark gray headstone with a scorpion carved on it. “Nero” is written in all caps on the headstone, presumably a reference to the infamous Roman emperor. A withered black dahlia is lovingly tucked in its stinger.

He glances at Wednesday, who’s staring at the grave solemnly. “Was this your pet?” he asks. It goes without saying really. Wednesday would find the emperor Nero and his unhinged behavior fascinating, she would have a scorpion of all things as a pet, and black dahlias are her flower of choice.

“He was,” she replies. “Some boys took him from me when we were out on a walk, and they ran him over with their bikes. I buried what was left of him and cried my little black heart out.”

Of course Wednesday took her pet scorpion out for walks, and of course the poor scorpion died tragically. Tyler understands Wednesday's morbid fascination with death a little better now. She must've really loved that scorpion to actually cry over it.

“Have you had any pets since then?” he asks, hoping she had another creature to cheer her up…er, bring her down, after Nero’s traumatic death. He misses his dog Elvis, but at least he knows Elvis went to a good home.

She gives him a sly look out of the corner of her eye, her lips twitching.

He snorts. “C’mon, I don't count as a pet.” Hyde or not, he’s still human.

“That's debatable. I've been informed you have puppy dog eyes, for one. Enid's words, not mine. You also come when I call, you protect me like a loyal dog, and you've even worn a collar before.”

“A shock collar,” he mutters. “While I was imprisoned.” And she enjoyed that very much. He didn't miss the dark delight in her eyes when she saw him chained up at Willow Hill.

Hmmmm, that could be more fodder to tease her with. He just has to figure out how best to use it.

He decides on an attack that almost never fails: complete and utter sincerity.

He takes a step closer and smiles, so close he’s right next to her, and her pupils dilate as she stares up into his eyes.

“You enjoyed seeing me like that, didn’t you?” he murmurs, tucking a strand of hair that's popped out of her braids behind her ear.

“Possibly,” she replies, dancing around the truth.

He chuckles and wraps his arms around her. “My sweet little sadist.” A new nickname, a tender endearment to add to their collection. She would kill him if he told anyone about her favorites, especially because she shudders and cringes over her parents doing the same thing, so their nicknames for each other remain their dirty little secret, for their private enjoyment only.

She smiles, pleased by this latest addition to their collection, and it warms his monstrous heart. He kisses her, and she melts in his arms.

Here they are, standing in a graveyard on a gloomy, cloudy day, celebrating life in the midst of death. He’s pretty sure their relationship seems absolutely bizarre to anyone who doesn't know them, but he wouldn't have it any other way.

“Fine, you win. For now,” Wednesday says when the kiss is over. A temporary truce that'll keep them both on their toes. “If I'm not allowed to count you as a pet, then now seems as good a time as any to mention the tarantulas, snakes, piranhas, and Socrates the octopus currently living in my room.”

“That's…good to hear.” He eyes the mansion with trepidation before remembering he can transform into an apex predator at will. A few tarantulas and snakes on the loose won't be any big deal for a Hyde. The house itself seems more and more like it'll be a test of whether he’ll fit into the Addams family as Wednesday’s…chosen mate.

That seems like the most fitting description for their current relationship.

“I also have an anole lizard named Lucifer,” Wednesday continues as they walk towards the mansion’s front entrance. “And Uncle Fester once brought me back an Australian Huntsman spider from his travels there.” She pauses, and he waits patiently for her to continue. “I named him Hunter. He was an expert at blending in with his surroundings and eating bugs. Pugsley thinks he's still alive somewhere inside the house.”

Tyler chuckles. “So many fun pets I just can't wait to meet. No more scorpions though?”

Wednesday shakes her head. “The day I lost Nero, I vowed I wouldn't ever cry again, because crying didn't fix anything. Getting another scorpion seemed counterproductive at the time.”

At the time, but how about now? The wheels in his head start turning. If he survives this visit, he knows exactly what he’s getting Wednesday next.

If he survives this visit. A disembodied hand reaches out to grab his leg the moment he steps foot on the front porch, and he nearly has a heart attack before he realizes it's just Thing.

To think, Thing came from his crazy uncle all along. Wednesday smiles, and he supposes he's passed the first Addams family test of belonging in a house full of them.

No better time than the present to prove himself. He smiles at Wednesday and walks through the front door.

🦂 🪦 🖤

Tyler handles himself quite well during his first visit to the Addams family home. Wednesday is pleased with his progress. She wouldn't want to take things to the next level with some wimp who dies at the first obstacle thrown his way. Then again, she isn't really surprised. Tyler is strong and tough, just the man and monster she needs. She wouldn't have let him into her life and home otherwise.

By the time he leaves, he's mostly in one piece. Hunter the Australian Huntsman is, in fact, still alive, and the welts on Tyler’s skin are undeniable proof of the spider’s continued existence. He took getting bitten in stride though and didn’t Hyde out. He didn't even turn into a Hyde to handle the other challenges thrown his way (including an accidental close brush with beheading and a near-miss with the Iron Maiden) and managed to eat some rather exotic roadkill at dinner, including a possum.

Her parents are finally cooling down to him, Lurch seems to tolerate his presence, Thing’s had a soft spot for him for a long time anyway, and Pugsley is the biggest, cringiest Hyde fanboy known to humankind, both dead and alive, and that has only intensified after today’s visit. He would give the Hyde fangirls a serious run for their money.

Tyler at least finds it amusing.

All in all, he’s starting to feel like one of the family. If things continue on this marvelous downward trajectory, she’ll have to ask him how he would feel about changing his last name. He’s meant to be an Addams someday, she’s sure of it.

For their next date, Tyler meets her in the family graveyard at night, her preferred location and time of day. Mist lingers on the dark ground, and it’s a full moon tonight. He’s wearing all black, which she wishes he would do more often, and in his hands he’s holding a box with ventilation holes poked in it.

“I got you this as a surprise. Happy early birthday,” he says.

“My birthday isn’t for a few more weeks,” she replies, taking the box from him. He painted it black so she can safely touch it. He’s always been very thoughtful about her allergy. She hasn’t ever had to worry about anything he's given her or even handed to her.

He grins. “Don’t worry, I've got something special planned for then, too.”

Curious, she opens the box. Inside is a black scorpion, tail arched and stinger poised. A few crickets and a scurrying cockroach are in there with the scorpion, along with some rocks and a shallow water dish. A little sign in Tyler’s familiar handwriting next to him says, “Vlad the Impaler.”

“I was torn between that and Caligula for his name,” Tyler says. “Feel free to change it if you want.”

“I won't. It's perfect.” She smiles lovingly at the dark creature. “My little Vlad, I'll happily provide you with so many victims you’ll get to impale with that beautiful stinger of yours that your cage will run black with insect blood.”

Insects don't technically have blood, they have hemolyph, and hemolyph isn’t black, but it's the thought that counts.

Tyler smiles and pulls a tiny chainmail leash out of his pocket. “And this is for your daily walks.”

Wednesday hesitates. After what happened to Nero, she wonders if taking Vlad on walks is the best idea. Of course, she's older now and much more versed in various ways of torturing bullies and miscreants. She should be able to handle anyone who tries to hurt him.

“If anyone ever tries to hurt or kill Vlad,” Tyler says, “if anyone so much as thinks of running him over with a bike, then your Hyde boyfriend will kill them for you.”

Oh yes, that's right, she also has a Hyde at her willing beck and call for protection. There’s a smirk on his face and a mad glint in his eye that matches the darkness in her own, and it sends an icy thrill through her.

She smiles as she closes the box and sets it on a nearby grave. “You would tear them limb from limb for me till their organs spill out and their blood gushes on the ground?”

He nods. “Anything for you, Wednesday,” he says softly, and she knows he means it. His actions have proved it, over and over again.

She wraps her arms around him. He's so much bigger and taller than her, but he’s like a big puppy when she holds him, and the sweet smile on his face makes her heart race. “Thank you, my Hyde. I'm very pleased with this gift, and the way you’ll kill for me always cools my dark heart.”

“I’d die for you too,” he says, and she wonders if someday he will. If someday he’ll have to transform to protect her, and that'll be his last transformation.

She doesn't want to think about such things. With his treatment regimen, that should be a long time from now. But if it happens, what a fitting end to their romance full of woe. And even death won't be able to keep them apart. She's made sure of that.

She kisses him, and he’s sweet and eager, but she can sense the animalistic desires stirring within him. She loves how he keeps himself chained for her sake, doing what she asks not because he has to but because he wants to. Because he loves and trusts her.

Against all odds, she loves and trusts him, too. She never admits it out loud in so many words, but she knows he knows.

Afterwards, they take Vlad on a moonlit walk together, the perfect ending to their date. The scorpion even catches a few cockroaches in its claws and then stings them as they eagerly watch. He’s a cold, efficient killing machine, and Wednesday is glad to have a partner who appreciates that.

Yes, Tyler will make a very suitable member of the Addams family someday. She can hardly wait till that day comes.

🦂 🪦 🖤

A/N: Ever since I saw the flashback scene in Season 1 where poor Nero the scorpion gets killed, I felt so bad for him and for Wednesday. I figure if Tyler ever found out about what happened, he’d want to make it up to her 🥹🦂 It was also fun to include references and cameos to past Addams family pets, and I really hope Tyler visits the Addams family home someday, because imagine the wacky hijinks that would ensue.

Thank you for reading!

[ginnycampbellbower88]

Ok but can we talk about how intense the dynamic between Tyler and Wednesday actually is??

Like it’s not cute. It’s not soft. It’s this weird magnetic pull that makes everything in the room feel different the second they look at each other.

It’s the way he looks at her — not soft, but focused. Like she’s something he’s trying to figure out and can’t stay away from at the same time. Literally nobody else looks at her like that. Not curious. Not scared. Just… drawn in.

And the wild thing is: she looks back the same way.

No smiles. No romantic clichés. Just two people staring at each other like they already know exactly how the other one could destroy them — and still not pulling away.

That’s why Wyler hits so hard for me. It’s not about how much screen time they have. It’s the tension, the silence, the way every scene feels like something is about to happen even when they’re not saying a single word.

That kind of chemistry doesn’t come from writing. That’s pure energy.

Wyler isn’t soft. It’s intense as hell — and I’m obsessed with it.

🖤

[munsonbee]

#Tyler “ You Didn’t Have to Do All of THAT ” Galpin

If evil, then why so Loverboy ??? 🤨

[ceeyoutea]

[yourartmatters-itswhatgotmehere]

I can't stop thinking about this SPECIFIC 2x05 scene (the fact that I wanted to see MORE of Tyler as a Hyde without a master who's losing his mind and being chased by law and on the run and in hiding and STILL somehow getting the dead flowers the note the disguise clothes, STILL somehow being able to visit her OFTEN ENOUGH to be very well aware of WHEN she was finally awake?! Mind you he waited 2weeks while probably having conversations with his dead father and many more hallucinations of his mind. Gun shots wounds!! What was he doing? What was he eating? I NEEDED MORE SCREEN TIME FOR HIM!!-all of that aside) BUT this is about this specific scene. Because he went to all of that trouble!!! And still.. he ran from her, he was hiding, not able to face her. What would happen if she did catch up with him?! And WEDNESDAY?? she is always calculating, never ever doing something without a plan. AND YET!! she sees Tyler and the first thing she does?? She is running after him!!! What was she going to do?! Against the Hyde who threw her out of the window and put her in a coma? Because by this point she doesn't know Laurel Gates is dead, she literally has just woken up. She has no idea he is free now but losing his mind and weaker but also more unhinged. She doesn't even think!! She just runs after him with no plan at all!!! Notice how OFTEN Wednesday does it when Tyler is in the equation!!! (Doing things without even thinking first) What would she do if she was able to catch up to him? Stop him in the middle of the hallway with all the people who were there at the hospital watching(nobody recognizing Tyler they didn't see the posters all across their small town shh!!) and do.. WHAT!?

You all I can NOT for the life of me stop thinking about this. Because this is such an unusual thing for Wednesday to do!! To chase after him without even a scratch of a plan. As if just being able to stop him was good enough?! (Also what happened to the beautiful bouquet of dark dead flowers? The note? Did she drop both while she went off chasing after him? In the middle of running? I was just staring at her face and Tyler's face and I can't possibly look at anything else so idk BUT! I'M pretty certain that when she faces that awful yet hilarious in her way of being lady that was back in s1 she doesn't have the note or the flowers?? Like girl I understand you wanted to catch him sooo badly but keep the note and the flowers he was literally going through so much shit and still got them for you!!) and him running away and hiding? After probably sneaking in and out of that hospital so many times just to check if she's finally awake? I could write a SERIES OF BOOKS analyzing Wednesday and Tyler and their choices all through 2x05 specifically and it wouldn't be ENOUGH. There has to be more.

RELEASE ALL THE DELETED SCENES FOR SEASON 2. I KNOW THERE MUST BE A LOT OF TYLER'S scenes in there!

+

this 2x05 hospital scene analysis post:

Reblog by @yourartmatters-itswhatgotmehere · 1 link

💬 0  🔁 2  ❤️ 28 · Reblog by @yourartmatters-itswhatgotmehere · 3 images · this! + 💬 1  🔁 41  ❤️ 208 · !!

Post by @yourartmatters-itswhatgotmehere · 1 video

💬 6  🔁 83  ❤️ 472 · https://www.tumblr.com/yourartmatters-itswhatgotmehere/789872320189792256?source=share · (LONG POST!-WEDNESDAY THEORIES!

[phoenix-downer2]

Wednesday and Tyler Hospital Scene Analysis

I was intrigued by this scene at the hospital because it kept subverting my expectations, and that really added this element of dark humor but also pathos to the scene.

Other people have already pointed out the little details about Tyler’s…gifts that show the sheer amount of thought, effort, and planning put into them, like how he gives her an entire bouquet of dead roses (which meant he probably stole them and waited for them to die before giving them to her) and wrapped the stems in black and white tissue paper ahead of time so she can safely hold them with her allergy. He also hand wrote her a card to accompany the roses. Normally, such a sweet, thoughtful gesture would be heartwarming, but it’s chilling because the card has a death threat written in it, the roses are dead even if she prefers them that way, and we know he’s obsessed with her and can turn into an angry, violent monster at will.

And yet the sheer amount of thought and effort he put into the gifts is so over the top that it crosses the line twice and comes back around to being darkly humorous and almost sweet, in a twisted, macabre way. Yes, he's going out of his mind and is acting really creepy and claims he wants her dead, but he didn't have to be so extra about it. A death threat scrawled on a piece of paper would’ve sufficed. Killing her in the hospital while she was still in a coma and no one else was watching would’ve been possible if that was all he cared about. Instead, he’s telling on himself big time with these grand gestures. I’m sure part of it is because he wanted to toy with her, but at the same time, his real feelings are leaking out of the deranged Hyde persona, and he can't stop it from happening.

It's almost embarrassing how clearly he’s still into her and obsessed with her, as dark and twisted as his expressions of those feelings may be. And I think Tyler’s humanity is leaking through here too, because flowers and a card almost feel like they started out as apology gifts for hurting her and landing her in the hospital in the first place. And from anyone else they might be, but of course everything gets so warped and twisted by his Hyde that the card has a death threat instead of an apology and the dead flowers really add to the ominousness of his words.

Of course, Wednesday immediately knows something is up. Only Tyler would know to do all these things—the dead roses, the black and white tissue paper, the death threats painstakingly handwritten in a card she can safely handle (why care at all about the allergies of someone you truly want dead?) He knows how much she cares about Enid, and he knows exactly how to get under her skin and get her attention—by threatening Enid. He’s her enemy, yes, but he knows her, and moments like this make it clear.

She asks the candy striper who gave her these “gifts,” and then there’s this reveal that not only did Tyler ask for these to be delivered to her, he's close by because he wanted to see her, too. It would've been way less risky if he hadn't stuck around to watch her reaction, but he did, and he even gives her a little wave:

One wonders just how long he's been skulking around the hospital waiting for her to wake up. The sheer amount of risks he took to be here, the lengths he went to to avoid detection when he only recently escaped Willow Hill and is wanted by the police—it really says everything about just how badly he wanted to see her. For this moment to happen, he had to sneak into the hospital somehow, steal and don the scrubs disguise, and avoid being recognized by anyone, even though this is clearly a busy hospital. He was also apparently around long enough to see Agnes visit at least once, because he knows she’s one of Wednesday’s friends in Episode 6.

He plays the role of full on psychotic villain when he knows he has her full attention. Just look at his smirk when he knows she's looking at him:

A chase/round of Hyde and woe seek ensues, but he manages to shake her. And this is where the pathos of the scene really hit me, and it’s all because of Tyler’s reaction once he’s alone:

A “regular” monster and clear-cut, unsympathetic villain would have smirked and gloated over getting away and successfully toying with his target. I think I even expected something along those lines, especially after his smirk earlier. Instead, Tyler practically has a breakdown and has to brace himself against the vending machine for support, and this moment hit me so hard. Props to Angela Robinson (the director of this episode), Erika Vásquez and Sienna Butterfield (the writers of this episode) and of course Hunter Doohan for his marvelous job of portraying Tyler’s emotions here, because it’s exactly thanks to moments like these that Tyler is such an interesting, nuanced character.

I’m sure part of his reaction is because he's sick and in pain and dying without a master, and this clearly shows that. He also just had to race through the hospital halls to avoid Wednesday and needs a moment to catch his breath. But I think he’s also experiencing a powerful wave of emotions—relief that Wednesday is okay and awake and alive, especially because he's the one who landed her in the hospital in the first place, regret that he had to run away from her when deep down he wants her to catch him, and anguish and disappointment over being separated from her again. Look at the way he squeezes his eyes shut, which is Tyler’s way of indicating the pain he’s feeling is unbearable, as he also squeezes his eyes shut like this when he asks Wednesday to kill him in Episode 8 and is bracing himself for her blow.

He also swallows here, like he’s choking back tears and is desperately trying to get ahold of himself. Beneath the monster and the villain is a very vulnerable young man who shows his real emotions when he thinks no one’s watching. It’s his humanity peeking through all over again, and I love that they included it because it adds so much to what came before and casts everything in a new light.

Thank you for reading this, and feel free to chime in with your thoughts!

[pixiediart]

[pixiediart]

[plausible-possible-perhaps]

He got into a fight 💔

[phoenix-downer2]

Why

Summary: Tyler reflects on the events of the final episode. He can’t wrap his head around what it might mean…or his heart, for that matter. 1,183 words. Character study, introspection, pining.

AO3 Link

Tyler was lost. Uncertain. Unstable. And it wasn't just because he didn't have a master anymore or because his parents were dead or because he was in the car with some woman he’d just met because she’d promised a community of Hydes who could help him.

No, for the first time in his life, someone had set him free instead of binding him in chains. Had saved his life instead of trying to kill him. Had let him make his own choices instead of telling him what to do. And it boggled his mind and haunted his thoughts and stirred his cold dead heart.

As the dull grays and browns of another small town whirred past them, he still didn’t understand why Wednesday had spared him. Still couldn't wrap his head around it.

“I missed,” yeah right. Wednesday was a bad liar, and they both knew she was lying. Her aim was impeccable. If she’d wanted him dead, he would've gotten an axe in the face and chest to destroy his “generic looks,” no questions asked. It was the perfect opportunity for revenge, and she hadn’t taken it. Which meant she’d aimed for a different target than his head or his heart but now had both firmly in the palm of her icy hand. He couldn’t stop thinking about her, obsessing over her, longing for her. It was a sharp ache that cut through the confusion and anger, the frustration and grief.

He’d thrown her out a window, threatened her and Enid, helped his mom and uncle kidnap and restrain and nearly murder her brother, and yet she’d shown him mercy. Mercy his own mother hadn't even shown him.

Why? Was he really so pathetic, bound up on that table and begging her to kill him, that she couldn't help but refuse just to spite him? Or was she against an Outcast having his powers forcibly removed against his will?

Or, and he hardly dared to hope, did some part of her still care about him?

The vibrant greens of a forest raced past them now as he stared out the window. The night his mom had found him, had become his new master, he remembered how close Wednesday had been to injecting him. How close she'd come to becoming his new master. The words she’d told him, the things she’d admitted to him. That he was right, that she’d lied about her feelings when she’d visited him at Willow Hill, that she was attracted to him after all.

He’d wondered if that was just another lie, another manipulation to make him fall into her trap, but maybe it was the truth. Maybe it was the truth she knew he so desperately wanted to hear. Another manipulation then, but what kind of girl manipulated people with the truth?

Wednesday Addams, that was who. He allowed his mouth to twitch a little. She was usually so brutally honest she scared all but the most determined idiots away. He and Enid and that Agnes girl.

He was glad Agnes had run for help like he’d expected her to. He’d known she was there. He’d picked up on her scent, the slight noises she’d made, but he hadn't told his uncle. It was his one small act of rebellion against his mom’s control and his uncle’s machinations. He might've wanted to save his mom, but he didn't want Wednesday to die.

It was shocking, that realization. When his uncle had buried her alive, he thought he’d gloat. Be happy. Thrill at seeing her dead and gone at long last. He was finally getting what he’d thought he’d wanted, after all. Instead he couldn’t look away from her face as a strange ache radiated through his chest and his eyes felt oddly wet.

He swallowed and stared at his haggard, hollow reflection in the window. A world without Wednesday Addams was too much for even a Hyde to handle. She wasn’t his master, and yet he wondered how he could survive without her. Or maybe it was just Tyler Galpin who couldn't bear to live in a world without her, who hurt to see her dying, who longed for her to visit him for weeks on end when he’d been locked up.

No, that was just an excuse. Tyler and the Hyde were one and the same. They were both a part of him, and he was the one who still had feelings for her. He had all along. No matter how deeply he’d tried to bury them, they’d all been unearthed the moment his uncle had buried her, the barriers around his heart hacked to pieces the moment she’d hacked the shackles on his hand, and there was no running or hiding from them any longer.

The further they got from Jericho, the more he regretted leaving town without her and without so much as saying goodbye. But no, he had to do this. He was finished with masters and mothers. He would learn to be his own master or die trying.

Wednesday had seen something in him worth saving, worth sparing. Even though he was a Hyde, even though she had every reason to kill him, even though they supposedly hated each other, even though their families were bitter enemies, she had chosen to free him, even before she’d saved her own brother.

He owed her his life. He had to repay that debt someday. And he would prove her right to spare him. That she hadn't made a mistake.

Until he was under control again though, not someone else's control but his own, he was a danger to her. Which meant he had to stay away from her. He didn't trust himself to be around her right now. His sanity was slipping and the hallucinations had started again. He’d already seen his father, his mother, and his uncle. He didn’t know if Capri had noticed as she cheerfully drove them north, cranking up her favorite tunes on the radio so she could hum along and making the occasional remark here and there. He’d been careful not to respond to any of the hallucinations this time because that only made them worse.

“We're about ten miles away now,” Capri said, interrupting his thoughts. She smiled and tapped the steering wheel in time to the music. “We’ll be there before you know it.”

She was remarkably calm for someone driving a car with a Hyde in it. Maybe she really was telling the truth about her father and the guy she’d dated. And the whole werewolf thing probably helped too.

“Yeah,” he replied, because against all odds, he trusted Capri. Trusted her enough to go with her. He was desperate, and she seemed like she actually wanted to help him. Only time would tell if he was right.

This was the start of his new life, his second chance, and he wouldn't waste it. And when he gained control of himself, he’d find Wednesday again and ask her one more time why she had saved him.

And maybe, just maybe, she’d finally tell him the truth.

🖤 🍃 🤎

A/N: I've been posting some Wyler/Weyler fics over on AO3 and wanted to start crossposting them to tumblr as well. Here’s my author’s note from AO3:

I finished the rest of Wednesday Season 2 and had to write something about Tyler’s thoughts and feelings after that final episode. “Why” and “I missed” are gonna be living in my brain rent-free for the rest of time lol. I'm very much looking forward to Season 3 and where they take Tyler’s character from here. I'm also really curious about Capri and her role moving forward—I adore Billie Piper and was so happy she was in this season, and I am intrigued about her character and what her true motives are.

Thank you for reading!